PT Pelayaran Nasional Indonesia (Persero), or Pelni, predicts that the number of passengers using its ships during this year's Idul Fitri (Lebaran) homecoming season will reach 417,676 people between 15 days before and 15 days after Lebaran.
This prediction represents a 133% increase compared to the actual number of passengers during the same period in 2021.
However, this year's predicted number of passengers has not yet reached pre-Covid-19 pandemic levels. In 2019, during the same period, the number of passengers reached 762,760.
Pelni projects the peak of the homecoming passenger traffic this year will occur on April 26, 2022 (H-6), with 16,900 passengers.
The peak of the return flow is predicted to occur on May 9, 2022 (H+6), with 17,400 passengers.
Pelni's Passenger Transportation Director, Yahya Kuncoro, stated that the company has prepared its fleet of ships from 15 days before to 15 days after Lebaran for sea transportation.
"With more thorough and organized preparations, we hope to optimally serve the public," he said in the "Safe and Healthy Homecoming" FMB9 Webinar on Monday, April 18.
Pelni is preparing 26 passenger ships with a capacity of 32,447 people for this year's Lebaran homecoming season from 76 ports.
Furthermore, there are 44 Pelni pioneer ships capable of transporting 16,820 passengers from 281 ports. Thus, the total seating capacity provided by Pelni is 49,267 units.